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Background of the Case Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi , wanted in India for his alleged involvement in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case , has filed an appeal before the Belgian Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) challenging the Antwerp Court of Appeals’ decision to extradite him to India. Choksi, who has been lodged in a prison in Antwerp since his arrest in April 2024 , approached the Belgian Supreme Court on October 30, 2024 , after the appellate court approved India’s extradition request based on charges filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) . Antwerp’s Attorney General Ken Witpas confirmed that the appeal is strictly limited to legal issues and that execution of the extradition order is suspended until the Belgian Supreme Court delivers its ruling. The Antwerp Court’s Extradition Order On October 17, 2024 , the four-member Chamber of Accusation (Charging Chamber) at the Antwerp Court of Appeals ruled in favor of India’s request for e...

Introduction The Supreme Court of India has taken a firm stance against the rising menace of digital arrest scams — a new-age cybercrime in which fraudsters impersonate law enforcement officials and extort money from citizens. The Court, while hearing a suo motu case initiated on the basis of a complaint by an elderly couple from Ambala, declared that such crimes must be dealt with an “iron hand.” The case underscores India’s growing vulnerability to sophisticated cyber-frauds exploiting digital communication platforms and the urgent need for coordinated national and international efforts to curb such offences. The Background: Rise of Digital Arrest Frauds The suo motu proceedings were initiated by the Supreme Court on October 17, 2024 , after receiving a letter from an elderly couple who lost over ₹1 crore in a scam where fraudsters pretended to be police officers and “digitally arrested” them through video calls. The scammers used fabricated visuals of courtrooms and fake offi...

Nearly two decades after one of India’s most horrifying crime sprees shocked the nation, the families of the Nithari victims have once again been gripped by despair. As the Supreme Court reserved its verdict in the last pending case against Surendra Koli , one of the two main accused, its remarks suggesting that upholding his conviction would be a “travesty of justice” have reignited old wounds in Noida’s Nithari village . Families React: ‘We Have Lost All Hope’ For the families who lost their children in the 2006 Nithari killings , the recent court developments have reopened painful memories. A 63-year-old father , whose 10-year-old daughter’s remains were recovered from the now-infamous D-5 bungalow in Sector 31 , said: “My daughter went missing while returning from school. Since then, I fought for justice, selling everything I had. But now, we have lost all faith. Only God can punish the killers of my child.” His wife added that she had foreseen the collapse of the case wh...

The Delhi High Court has upheld the Central Administrative Tribunal’s (CAT) December 2024 order, directing the Centre to promote Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Sameer Wankhede to the post of Joint Commissioner (JC) of Customs and Indirect Taxes , provided he is found eligible by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Background: Wankhede’s Role in Aryan Khan Drug Case Sameer Wankhede, a 2008-batch IRS officer, served as the Zonal Director of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Mumbai and gained national attention in October 2021 when he supervised the high-profile arrest of Aryan Khan , son of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan , in a drugs-on-cruise case. However, in July 2023 , Wankhede himself came under scrutiny after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) initiated probes into allegations that he demanded a ₹25 crore bribe from Shah Rukh Khan in exchange for not implicating Aryan Khan in the case. Sealed Cover Proc...

Supreme Court Issues Notice to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in CBI’s Plea Against Acquittal in 2002 Murder Case Overview of the Case The Supreme Court of India has issued a notice to Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh , the self-styled godman and Dera Sacha Sauda chief, along with four other individuals, in connection with the 2002 murder of Ranjit Singh , the sect's former manager. This notice comes in response to a plea filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) challenging their acquittal by the Punjab and Haryana High Court . The High Court’s judgment had overturned the trial court’s conviction of the accused, leading the CBI to appeal the acquittal. Supreme Court Proceedings On January 5, 2025 , a bench led by Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar sought responses from the accused, including Gurmeet Ram Rahim , and tagged the matter with another pending appeal filed by the complainant, the father of the deceased, Ranjit Singh. The case is scheduled to be he...

Delhi Court Sends Arvind Kejriwal to Judicial Custody  Till July 12 In a significant development, the Delhi Court has sent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to judicial custody until July 12 in connection with the excise policy case. The decision came after Kejriwal’s three-day Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) custody ended, and the court decided not to extend it further. Court's Decision and Immediate Reactions The Rouse Avenue Court of Delhi ordered the judicial remand of Arvind Kejriwal, following arguments presented by both the prosecution and defense. Advocate DP Singh, representing the CBI, argued that Kejriwal had been uncooperative during his police custody, providing evasive replies contrary to the evidence on record. The court found these arguments sufficient to warrant judicial custody. AAP’s Response The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has called the court’s decision a conspiracy orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). AAP leader Sanjay Singh criticized the CBI...

Delhi Excise Policy PMLA Case: Rs 100 Crore Bribe  Allegation and Bail Plea The controversy surrounding the Delhi Excise Policy continues to deepen as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) opposes the bail plea of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The ED has alleged a demand for a Rs 100 crore bribe, asserting the involvement of Kejriwal in money laundering activities. Bribe Demand and Money Laundering:    The ED has established that a significant amount of money, totaling Rs 100 crore, was demanded as a bribe. This money, according to the ED, was funneled through hawala transactions, with Chanpreet Singh identified as the individual who facilitated these transactions. The ED claims that a substantial amount of this money was given to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in cash and was used to fund a luxurious 7-star hotel stay for Kejriwal. Prosecution's Standpoint: Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S.V. Raju, representing the ED, argued that the Central Bureau of Investigation (C...

Supreme Court Refuses Bail to Manish Sisodia in Delhi  Excise Policy Case The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to grant bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam. The court has permitted Sisodia to revive his bail plea once the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) file their final chargesheets. Court Proceedings and Statements A vacation bench comprising Justices Aravind Kumar and Sandeep Mehta noted the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta's submission, representing the ED and CBI, that the final chargesheets will be filed by July 3. The bench stated, "We will not say anything. We will dispose with liberty to revive your prayers. We are not saying anything on merit, and all contentions are left open." Previous High Court Rulings Sisodia, represented by Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, sought bail citing the prolonged trial delay despite his 15-month custody. Earlier, the Delhi...